By Rusty Miller
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Craig Krenzel beats opponents with his arm, his legs and his head. Krenzel faces the biggest test on Saturday when he guides No. 2 Ohio State against No. 12 Michigan.

He can become the first quarterback in 20 years to lead the Buckeyes to back-to-back wins over the rival Wolverines.

He doesn't have a great arm and his scrambles aren't graceful, but Krenzel wins - 12 straight this season.

There is an Opie Taylor look about him: freckles, reddish hair and a quick smile. But nobody in Mayberry majored in Molecular Genetics or stared down a 320-pound lineman.

He is at his best when the fourth quarter rolls around and the Buckeyes have to make a play.

"We've been in a lot of tight situations this year," said the junior from Utica, Mich. "We have a lot of confidence that we're going to pull ourselves out of a tight situation and make the play when we need to."

Krenzel has proved to be an accurate passer (61 percent, 12 TDs, 5 interceptions) and a surprisingly effective runner (257 yards rushing). And the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder seldom makes an error of judgment.

Krenzel didn't see much action throughout his first two seasons until starter Steve Bellisari was suspended from the team for a drunken driving arrest late last season. Scott McMullen started in a loss to Illinois, although Krenzel played well in relief.

Krenzel then started at Michigan, completing 11-of-18 passes for 118 yards with one interception. He led three first-half touchdown drives as the Buckeyes built a 23-0 lead.

"Surprisingly, I wasn't that nervous," he said of his first career start. "I had a lot of confidence in our team that they were going to play well and kind of rally around me and make sure that it wasn't going to be up to me to win the football game."

That's the key for Krenzel: He doesn't feel as if he's out there by himself.

"Krenzel has done a great job of creating plays," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "He has improved a great deal and is smart and competitive, which is shown by him making a lot of plays when things broke down. He has hit some big passes, especially in the last two games."

Krenzel is the thinking man's quarterback. Majoring in Molecular Genetics, he hopes to go to medical school. His older brother Brian, who played at Duke, is currently in medical school in Louisville.

"Some people can do genetics but can't do football. He can do both. He's a lucky guy," free safety Donnie Nickey said with a laugh.

Krenzel's intelligence allows him to recognize defenses and switch to the proper play. It's sort of like a puzzle that he solves in the seconds he stands behind the center, surveying what the offense faces.

"I play against him every day in practice," Nickey said. "One thing that stands out about him is his ability to recognize a defense and make the right check. He can read a defense. He knows what coverage you're in. Unless you disguise it or he misses you, then he's going to call the right play."

Krenzel can be plodding and sometimes throws passes that flutter, but the thought process behind each play is never in doubt.

"Some people show flashes of being a big-play person because they just throw it up there," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "One thing he has always done is deciding what to do with the football."